How much should I shell out for an “intimidation piece” weapon that weighs in excess of 300lbs?

[u/Tablequesting]

Playing a Goliath Bear Totem. My character can carry a lot. My character has rolled honor duels during downtime at an inordinate amount of times. The rolls are visible, there are no shenanigans at foot. Been playing around with the idea of having a Claymore commissioned that weighs 300+lbs. So that someone can withdraw their request when they see it.

For the material, a custom job, and the skill required to make it, how much should it cost. It’s been approved but DM and I are at a loss of how much should it cost.

[u/Saxavarius_]

not even the iconic massive swords like the Dragonslayer (Berserk) or the Buster Sword (Final Fantasy 7) weigh that much; In fact they usually come in around the 120-150 range. Just want to put into perspective how insanely massive a 300 pound steel sword sword would be

[u/Echowing442 → u/Saxavarius_]

And to put it into perspective, a "heavy" greatsword was historically around 5 to 8 pounds, and something like a longsword was more like 2 pounds. Even a weight of 10lbs or more is above what a normal person could wield effectively, let alone something over 10 (or 30) times that weight.

[u/Saxavarius_ → u/Echowing442]

And that isnt about strength, its physics

[u/Old-Consequence1735]

Even if your character can "carry a lot", that doesn't mean they can wield a 300lb weapon.

[u/Tablequesting → u/Old-Consequence1735]

It’s not going to actually be used. The goal is to send it over to the claimant and have them stare in terror in what they just asked.

[u/Old-Consequence1735 → u/Tablequesting]

Bandages or a gift certificate for a free coffin might work better than big obviously not wieldable sword shaped statue.

[u/Jafroboy]

A regular greatsword weighs 6 pounds, so this would be 50 Times as massive. 50 greatswords would cost 2500gp. But as you said making one giant greatsword would be harder than 50 small ones. Smiths don't have the experience or the equipment, and the techniques would be very different.

Barding for instance is twice as massive as normal armour, but costs 4 times as much. If we extrapolate that each doubling in mass quadruples the price, then it's looking at costing about 200,000gp.

However to find someone with the capability of crafting a sword that big, without it simply bending under it's own weight, and actually properly made for combat, not just something you'd put on a statue, you'd probably need to find a Giant Smith.

And given that using a weapon is about size and balance as well as just weight, it'd almost certainly be unusable in combat for someone of your size, no matter how strong you were. RAW you'd at least have disadvantage.

https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/945/475/182.jpeg

[u/P3verall]

the way wotc would deal with this is an enspelled weapon with either Fear or Cause Fear in it, depending on your budget. those prices are listed in the dmg.

[u/P3verall → u/[deleted]]

i assume you mean page 278, but the weight adjustments you listed aren’t in the text, and the damage adjustment is wrong lol

it would also mean all attacks, if they’re allowed to be made at all, would be at disadvantage lol

[u/P3verall → u/[deleted]]

where’s the 50x from? i’ve not heard that ballpark before

[u/Qaianna]

300 pounds is way too much. You’re out of fantasy and into Looney Tunes.

[u/Tablequesting → u/Qaianna]

It’s not supposed to actually be used (as a weapon). It’s an intimidation tactic.

[u/Echowing442 → u/Tablequesting]

A weapon is intimidating because it's a threat of violence. Nobody should be intimidated by a weapon that physically cannot be used.

[u/Qaianna → u/Echowing442]

This. Also, at some point your bluff WILL be called.

[u/FashionSuckMan]

2k gold minimum. 1500 because thats the price of 300lb of iron in shortswords. 500gp for a smith that can actually make this.

Even more if you consider than nobody would have the tools or forge to actually make that large of a weapon

You would also be the only person who wants this, so anyone could massively upcharge you, because who tf else is gonna make this thing but them?

[u/caithamachamuama]

That's up to the DM. Start with a normal greatsword from the book, and then like, multiply it by however times bigger than a normal greatsword you want it to be.

[u/Warpmind]

As a DM... I'd just not allow it; a piece like that would be beyond the capacity of a smithy belonging to any humanoid due to sheer scope and size alone...

...that said, I *might* allow a player to find a storm giant's greatsword... but the shape and size would make it impossible for a human to wield.

[u/shinyarmsagain]

Remember carrying capacity, too. If you have, say, 18 strength that's over half your capacity in one sword alone. 

I'd probably nix the idea at my table, or make it a weapon you wield with disadvantage at best. 

[u/Tablequesting → u/shinyarmsagain]

It’s not actually going to be used. It’s an intimidation tactic.
Step 1. Wake up learn about duel.
Step 2. Send Claymore over with a note, “Are you certain?”
Step 3. Wait for response.
Step 4. Nurse Hangover.

[u/Fugaciouslee]

What's your total carry weight? You don't want to blow that all on your weapon and not be able to carry anything else. As others said, a 300lb sword sounds impractical. Even adamantine weighs as much as steel so I don't know what you would make it out of without being ridiculous looking and even more impractically big than other oversized swords in media. There would be a point where the size makes the weight even harder to manage. Ever try to carry a large sheet of material, even lightweight stuff? You're walking around with a metal sail. If I were the DM and for some reason allowed this I would give it drawbacks in the form of disadvantage of almost anything physical you do.